What you will do

analyse patient discharge records to determine what codes best represent the diseases, injuries and medical procedures described

use coding software to process and code patient discharge records

consult with clinical staff, such as doctors, to verify discharge records

keep up to date with health classification codes and coding software

take part in health classification coding audits and activities, such as peer reviewing coding for accuracy, consistency and completeness

answer public queries

respond to or obtain information from the Ministry of Health on health classification coding-related issues.

Skills and knowledge

Clinical coders need to have:

knowledge of health classification codes

knowledge of medical terminology, including anatomy and physiology

the ability to use databases

the ability to analyse and interpret medical notes.

Working conditions

Clinical coders:

work regular business hours

usually work in offices as part of patient support services in hospitals.

What's the job really like?

Jennifer Marsh - Clinical Coder

Clinical coder Jennifer Marsh says it can be challenging working through the process of coding a patient's pathway from hospital admission to discharge.

"If a person has had a lot of complications you can have 50 codes. We've got five volumes that assist us to find the correct codes. Anything that may impact on a patient's stay in hospital has a code, and for every condition and procedure there's a code.

"You get to the stage where you start to know some of the codes by heart, but you still need to know where to look."

A job for perfectionists

"Coding is about reading through and deciphering the important bits in hospital notes. And if it's not written down you never assume that it happened. So if we have a problem with a set of notes, we'll get another coder's opinion or ring and clarify with the doctors."

Jennifer says remaining focused and accurate is important. "It's an analytical job where you're extracting information and classifying it – you have to be a perfectionist."

Related courses

Training as a clinical coder involves learning about medical terminology

What are the chances of getting a job?

Average

Chances of getting work as a clinical coder are average, but very good for qualified workers with experience.

District Health Boards prefer to employ trained clinical coders, so your chances of getting a job are better if you have completed relevant training. If you also have experience in addition to qualifications, then job opportunities are very good.

Number of factors contribute to shortage of clinical coders

The shortage of qualified clinical coders is due to:

increased hospital admissions because of New Zealand's growing and ageing population